Showstopper hosts Reubylee, Jodi, Kyla and Thato from Season 9, Episode 4
We're eagerly and impatiently waiting for new episodes of Come Dine With Me South Africa which has been renewed for Season 10. Unfortunately it's only happening in 2025 so the wait is long.
To feed our addiction we've been watching and re-watching previous seasons on BBC Lifestyle and we're pleased to see that Season 2's starting a run on BBC UKTV this Monday (13 May) at 19h00 for those who've missed it.
Our obsession with the show has inspired us to reflect on our fave episodes and what makes the best of them.
How do you create the perfect one?
This is our list of ingredients:
Contestants who get along funtastically. Even better if they end up loving each by the end. We far prefer it when the hosts like each other and have a blast as opposed to episodes with hosts who either don't click or have those amongst them who try to be mean for "reali-actions"
.
Or those who are really, genuinely nasty. Our hearts go out to the people who get their nights with unsavoury types.
It's much better when the vibes are positive because this always makes the episode funnier and more joyous, which turns the hour into a tonic of laughter.
Only real world people and NO celebrity episodes or schleb hosts mixed with regular folk please.
It's like the difference between watching pro porn versus amateur porn. It's a lot more entertaining, comforting and intimate to experience real people in their homes as opposed to those with public personas who have an image to uphold.
Also, when there's one celeb amongst the group, it changes the dynamics of the whole group too much.
No contestants who engage in competitive scoring. It happens very seldom but we spotted an instance of it in Season 9, Episode 11.
Everyone was getting along happily, ha-ha-ha, and next thing wham! the "I'm so artistic dahling" piano teacher turned into a side-eye scorer. We're convinced she deliberately scored her competition too low to gain an advantage.
Risqué rocks. We love it when hosts share too much information about their fetishes because it reveals a mischievous openness to them, and a lot about the others from their reactions.
It also creates an intimacy and hysterical laughs between them. It's part of why Reubylee & Co. ended up in each other's arms by the end.
The more diverse the locations from week to week, the better. We're engrossed no matter where it's set
but we would love to see locations from other provinces in Season 10.
So far we've only seen Cape Town, Durban, Jozi and P.E. and they haven't even all been featured in each season. Bring on Mbombela, Bloem, Polokwane! - other provinces.
And bring on new, weekly episodes throughout the year. There musn't be a break between seasons - they must run on thoughout the year. New provinces, more people, weekly. It would improve each episode because you'd have something to look forward to once each eps ends.
The R10,000 prize is purrfect. The Season 2 re-run has reminded us that the prize used to be different. It was R5,000 for that season, with a R5000 voucher for Pick 'n Pay. Puhlease, who wants that?! #uCheckers
It got us wondering whether R10,000 is enough considering it's been the prize for yearz and we concluded that it is.
If it were more, it would create a situation of more pressure and could encourage strategic scoring, especially if the amount became life changing.
Dave Lamb and the production must always,
always remain on the side of the viewer and not the hapless dronkies. It's the main ingredient that can never change.
The vital element in our recipe for making a 10 out of 10 episode.
If you were to create the perfect one, what would your ingredients be?